Cam adjustment apparatus for a circular knitting machine



H. AGULNEK CAM ADJUSTMENT APPARATUS FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 11, 1968 3 INVENTOR.

Harry Agulnek BY WITNESS:

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3 525,239 CAM ADJUSTMENT APPARATUS FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Harry Agulnek, New York, N.Y., assignor to The Singer Company, New York, N .Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Apr. 11, 1968, Ser. No. 720,647 Int. Cl. D04b 9/00 U.S. CI. 66-54 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Adjustment apparatus for a circular knitting machine is disclosed as including a bell crank which is pivotable by means of a horizontally disposed pin. The pin, which is positionable by means of an adjustment screw, causes the bell crank to push against and reposition a stitch draw cam; and such adjustment screw is kept in place by means of a pointer which resides in corrugation on the screw head, the pointer indicating the cam setting with respect to indicia on the screw.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relates to circular knitting machines and in particular provides improved apparatus for adjusting the stitch draw cams of such machines.

Description of the prior art With the introduction of circular knitting machines of the type described in copending United States patent application Ser. No. 670,097, the room ordinarily available on each cam section thereof for supporting means by which the stitch draw cam of such section may be adjusted has become quite reduced. Copending United States patent application No. 670,097 shows one form of stitch cam adjustment means which, while serviceable, leaves much to be desired, not only from the standpoint of ease of operation, but also from the standpoint of calibration and design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Apparatus em-boding the invention utilizes a bell crank to position a stitch cam within a tight space on a knitting machine cam section, employing a push-rod or pin which passes through the section t operate the crank. The push rod or pin is positioned by an adjustment screw that is calibrated against a reference on the cam section.

A principal object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for use by a knitting machine,

Another object of the invention is to provide cam adjustment apparatus for a knitting machine, which adjustment apparatus utilizes a bell crank for cam adjustment purposes and, in its presently preferred form, employs a push rod-adjustment screw combination to operate such crank.

The invention will be described with reference to the figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partially in section, of a knitting machine cam section according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a projection of one side of the cam section of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a projection of another side of the cam section of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a projection taken from FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the linkage employed in practicing the presently preferred form of the invention, and

FIG. 6 is a diagram useful in describing the invention.

While apparatus embodying the invention is fully and 3,525,239 Patented Aug. 25, 1970 clearly shown in FIGS. 1-6, additional views of the indicated cam section may also be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,457,736, of Lester Mishcon, issued July 29, 1969.

The character reference numbers as employed herein are the same as those employed for corresponding parts in U.S. Pat. No. 3,457,736, of Lester Mishcon, issued July 29, 1969.

With reference to the figures, a section block 24 supports a forked flange 200 for mounting a rotary pattern wheel (not shown). Forming part of the flange 200 is a block portion 202 into which a horizontally disposed adjustment screw 204 is threaded. The adjustment screw 204 is provided with a peripherally corrugated screw head 62 which serves as an adjustment knob. A pointer 206 in the nature of a leaf spring, is secured to the block portion 202, and is spring biased into the corrugations of the screw head 62. The pointer 206 serves not only to lock the adjustment screw 204 in place, once such screw 204 is set, but serves also to indicate the setting of such screw with reference to the indicia 208 on the screw head 62. The block portion 202 of the flange 200 is provided with a forked end 210 in which a bell crank 56 resides, such bell crank 56 being pivotally supported on an axle 58. An arm 54 projects from the bell crank 56 and bears against a positionable stitch draw cam 48. The stitch draw cam 48, which is sandwiched between a flange 46 and a surface 44 on the cam section 24 is provided with a flange 212 that is keyed for sliding movement along a slot 214 in the section block 24. A spring 50 secured to the section block 24 by means of a screw 52 urges the stitch draw cam 48 against the arm 54 of the bell crank 56. Movability of the stitch draw cam 48, thus, is parallel to its cam surface 49, i.e., in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the cam 48. The block portion 202 of the flange 200 is provided with a horizontally disposed through channel 216 in which a push rod or pin 218 is slidably accommodated, such pin 218 abutting against the underside 220 of the screw head 62 and against a surface 222 on the bell crank 56.

By turning the screw 204, the pin 218 is moved in its channel 216 to push against and pivot the bell crank 58 on its axle 58 (FIG. 6) so that the arm 54 of the crank 56 will accordingly reposition the stitch draw cam 48 against the action of the spring 50. Reflecting such new position for the stitch draw cam 48 is the position of the pointer 206 in relation to the screw head indicia 208, and such pointer 206 serves to hold the screw 204and the cam 48-in place until deliberately repositioned.

While the invention has been described in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than of limitation, and that changes within the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention.

Having thus set forth the nature of this invention, what is claimed herein is:

1. Cam adjustment apparatus for use in a circular knitting machine having a cam adapted for selective positioning in a direction substantially parallel t its longitudinal axis, said apparatus comprising means for use in urging said cam in a first direction which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said cam, a bell crank having a portion adapted to bear against said cam and urge the cam in a direction substantially opposite to said first direction, means for pivotally supporting said bell crank at a point which is distant from said bell crank portion, a screw substantially horizontally threada'ble from the exterior of said knitting machine and including a screw head, and a pin to cooperate with the screw head extending substantially horizontally from the underside of the screw head to bear against and pivot the bell crank in 3 response to turning movement of the screw head whereby the cam may be positioned substantially parallel to its longitudinal axis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said screw head is provided with a corrugated peripheral surface, and wherein said apparatus includes pointer means biased into the corrugations of said screw head, whereby said pointer means not only reflects the setting of said cam, but also serves as a lock for said screw.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said means for use in urging said cam in a first direction is a spring.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said apparatus includes a forked member for mounting a pattern wheel, said forked member being provided with a channel therethrough for slidably accommodating said pin.

4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/ 1922 Howie et a1.

6/1954 Chiti 66-54 XR 8/1955 Katterman 66-54 XR 4/1966 Lawson et al 66-54 XR 6/ 1968 Mishcon 6627 FOREIGN PATENTS 3/ 1964 Italy.

7/1912 Switzerland.

WM. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner 

